New Kids On The Block: Sha Summers

I know it’s been a minute, but I’m back in full effect with SHA SUMMERS! The half NY, half VA raised, rapper started writing at the age of 13, with his cousin. Both areas played a major role in molding the rapper/graphic designer, known today as Sha Summers.

Sha Summers is inspired by the effect that music has on the people around him. He wants to be able to speak to people through his craft and make a difference along the way. Summers is also inspired by his mother. She helped him establish his appreciation for production.

“I love Music. This is the only thing I [can] see myself doing for the rest of my life. I’m inspired by the underdog’s tale. I was an outcast, the cliche story for most artists…. but I want to be a Legend, [and] remembered for my craft, like Bob Marley. That’s what keeps me going.

When I was younger my mom never let me listen to too much rap music. We mainly listened to Erykah [Badu], Lauren [Hill], and Biggie from time to time. She always asked me what instruments were being played, and stressed the fact that production, emphasis, [having] your own sound, and a good story are all the keys to the perfect track.”

After writing his first freestyle and allowing his cousin to listen to it, Sha Summers was amazed by the reaction that he’d received. He stuck to rapping because he believed in himself. I think that is such a dope quality for any artist to have, whether you rap, sing, dance, write, or whatever.

“I wrote my first freestyle and spit it to my cousin. He couldn’t believe how good it was at the time, like he couldn’t believe that I wrote it. I was kind of a cornball but I just stuck with it, and more people in my neighborhood heard what I could do. I just ran with it.”

Having faith and confidence in one’s self will always feed the creative mind and make it easy for an artist to be inspired. One thing that I can say is that Sha Summers can mix any genre of music into his raps and makes it his own unique sound.

I’d say what makes me stand out the most is my voice. It’s different. …Like how you have those artists [with a specific sound], you know that it’s them as soon as you hear them on a track.”

Sha Summers is good with his puns and punchlines, which is where his rapper’s idolization for Cassidy comes in. The thing with Sha’s punchlines…..is that they can easily go over your head if you’re not REALLY listening to him. Most rap tracks in the industry now-a-days are only hot because of the production, and not the actual content of the lyrics themself. That’s not the case when it comes to Sha Summers, it’s the opposite. His lyricism is unique. He hasn’t found a specific flow to fit his ever-changing rap style as of yet, but as he experiments, he nails every style that he tries.

“I’d say my best quality is my word play. One thing I refuse to do, is be modest about the fact that I can really rap. I have no idea how I come up with the things that I say. I literally amaze myself at times, because I’m definitely not as smooth in person as I am on a record. I can practically take anything and any situation, and turn it into a dope record or a dope line that you’d have to rewind a few times to peep. I really see it as a blessing.”

Sha Summers has recently released his version of Drake’s “Summer Sixteen,” named “Sha Summer Sixteen.” He’s also dropped a remixed track to Bryson Tiller’s “Overtime,” an original track named “Chopped Cheese,” and “Shoutout to my Beloved.” Sha Summers is a very consistent artist who’s always willing to learn, grown and better his craft as he moves along in his career.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Summers and at the end of our interview, I asked him “If you could be featured on anyone’s track, who would it be and why?” His response:

“I have three. Andre 3000… THE GOAT, Frank Ocean, because I know he’s cooking up some heat, plus he’s one of my favorite story tellers, and Kid Cudi, [because I] feel like I can relate to him, as far as my artistry and personal life goes. Plus ‘Man on the Moon II’ helped me break my stage fright.”

After his dope selection of artists, with all three being a personal favorite of mine, I’ve gotten more of an idea of who Sha Summers really is. He is the epitome of the kind of artist that the industry needs right now. I can see him making some noise in the future. He already has a unique voice, I’m just waiting on the unique style of rapping to perfect the package, but there’s always room to grow as an artist and Sha Summers has the recipe. Keep cooking and bringing heat to the table. Sha-llelujah!

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I'm on the come up. My name's Jeonni, but everyone calls me Mighty. I'm a 25 year old freelance writer from Flatbush, Brooklyn. I'm currently a digital media/ film production student. Music is my passion and I feel that A lot of artists don't get enough recognition, basically I'm here to make sure that we all eat. If you're an amazing artist, I will find you & I will blog about you!